2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
A major earthquake struck Taiwan over the weekend, which triggered a tsunami warning as far away as Japan.
This reminded me of when we first moved to Israel in 2003.
I was in my Hebrew class downtown, and my wife and one-month-old baby were alone in our Jerusalem apartment. My wife called me immediately, and this is what she told me; I'll never forget it.
She was sitting in our bedroom with our 1-month-old in her arms when out of nowhere came a sudden loud roaring sound, followed by a shaking of all four walls and all the contents within banging back and forth against them rapidly and with great force. So many things were going through her mind at that moment as she tried to remember what you're supposed to do in a scenario like this. Are you supposed to get under the bed? Or maybe get outside? Yeah, outside! But it would be three flights of steps to get outside, and with a newborn baby in her arms -- how?! She just froze in fright, thinking about what could happen next. But in the midst of it all, Riv looked down at Elianna in her arms. Would you believe she was perfectly content -- happy, smiling, even drifting off to sleep as the whole earth shook all around her. Wow.
Each of us can take a lesson from Elianna. Even in the midst of all the chaos, distress, or crises beyond our control, we must rest, trusting that we're safe in the loving arms of the Father. We shouldn't have a care in the world.
Is your world being shaken right now? Know that God is holding you today. No matter what you're facing, you can trust Him to cover you. Just lay back and enjoy the ride!
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[worthy_plugins_devotion_single_body]As we continue to celebrate the God-ordained Feast of Tabernacles — this is a prophetic feast, and one which will be kept by all the people of the world in the coming age. In resurrected bodies, we will be celebrating this feast, year to year in Jerusalem during the millennial reign of Yeshua (Jesus)! Can you imagine it — celebrating with the King of Kings! If that’s not something to anticipate, I’m not sure what is!
The Lord is quoted in this scripture in Matthew. It contains an important principle which believers sometimes tend to overlook. Many believe and even teach that if you’re blessed, your life will be filled with material prosperity, and that if you are undergoing extreme trial, it must be because you have sinned or that you lack faith. The Lord says that the sun rises and the rain falls on both the righteous and the unrighteous alike.
Abraham’s rescue of Lot and his household from the four Mesopotamian Kings in the middle of the night was an act of holy chutzpah! Israel’s first patriarch demonstrated great faith, courage, family loyalty, and military strategy during this successful rescue operation.
This Sunday night people from around the world will celebrate Yom Kippur. In Israel, nothing, absolutely nothing is open — no radio, television or cable, even the street lights don’t work!
On Monday, we talked about “tashlich” — the traditional Jewish ceremony occurring between Rosh ha Shana and Yom Kippur, which involves casting bread crumbs into a river while confessing our sins and watching them be swept downstream. In this passage, however, we read about the importance of casting our crowns. These elders fell down before the Lord, casted their golden crowns and gave God the glory and honor He deserves. How much more should we do the same today?
When my family and I were re-deployed to the United States during the Covid outbreak, all my plans were wrecked. I had planned becoming a licensed tour guide in Israel, allowing the ministry to continue while my kids would serve in the Israeli army for three years. Instead, I’m looking back at 150,000 miles of cross country driving throughout the US, and 350 speaking/ministry engagements. “…Man plans his way…” but, stuff happens, and sometimes we simply need to adjust. So, the adventure continues…
The Bible seems virtually redundant on the theme of courage. More than 125 exhortations for God’s people facing overwhelming trials and dilemmas, resound against fear, notwithstanding how natural that response may seem. Courage based on faith is the universal attitude for saints in all situations. Our omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnipresent (everywhere) Father says, and repeats, “Fear not! Be of good courage! Be strong and courageous!”